Vehicle-wheel.



G SOMMERS VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLIGATION FILED SEPT l1 190'?.

Patented Oct.- 13,1908.

.2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

4 l/a/r G. SOMMERS.

VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLICATION IVILED SEPT.11,1907.

Patented Oct. 13, i908.

y2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

vio

entre' etarras ui'nfinnr Oirirrcit.

GEORGE sonrisas, or MINNEAPOLIS, MiNNEsOrA;

i fvnnrcLE-Wmnn.

No. sooner.

A Specification of Letters Patent.'

Patented oet. ie, ieee.

.Application Bled September 11, 71907', -Seiial N o. 392,326.

,acter which Will practical-ly ein-body the essential 'features of'a pneumatic tire, but yet befreeffrom lthe objection o'f-collapsing in the event of a' puncture firent, Whichcauses de.

vflatie'n of pneumatic tires and necessitates their replacement.

The lpresent Vinvention provides, '.e'ssenfy tially,'an all' metal tire ofsuch formation as to prevent theentrance Of-mud or foreign matter into the space inclosed "bythe ele ments com rising the tire. l For a vfu l* understanding of the invention andthe merits thereof land also toacquiie a llrifiowiedge of the details of construction and the means for effecting the result, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings.

While the invention maybe adapted tok different forms and'conditions by'fch'anges in.

the structure and minor 'details without =de-' parting' from the spirit yor essential features thereof, still the preferred embodiment is shown in the accompanying 'fdravvingsini which:

Figure 1 is a side View of 'a portion ofthe vehicle Wheel embodying the-invention. F ig. 2 is a transverse section of the rim portion of. the Wheel. Fig. 3 is a plan view-cfa portion ofthe tiro showing the arrangement of the yicldable elements. Fig. 4 is a detailper-A spective view of a Iportion of the rim and tire.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of a Vportion` of.

of a longitudinal tire element.

Corres onding and like parts are referred to in the foil rawings by the same reference characters.- f 4 The tire com rises a tread portion, which is yieldable, an( a supporting rim,thelatter being of any suitable material, wood being preferred. The rim of the Wheell to which the tiro is fitted is channeled or made hollow in its outer circumference and is of sectional ferential length thereof.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view` owing description and indicated inA all the views of the( sections, brace said parts, as indicated most'.

clearly in Fig. 2. The spokes .7 are fitted into the sockets and, held fast by clamping` the members of said sockets! thereon. The 'tireproper consists of a supporting rim 8 and resilient elements 'forming the yielding tread. 'Ifhe rim 8 is preferably of' wood and is channeled vin its outer circumference, although this is not essential, but is-prcferred as the side flanges 9 form lateral supports' for the transverse or arched members. The rim8 is provided. with a plurality of openings in Which the inner ends of the resilient or spring elements are secured, said lopeninflfs prefer-` ably extending through the rim anc enlarged Aat their inner ends to'receive the nuts 1() by means of which the spring elements are held in place. The spring elements are provided in'two series, one extending crosswise of the tire and the'other parallel, or in the circum- The cross elements 11 are of arched forni and have their attach ingfends made round and threaded to receive the ends 10 by means of which they are secured to the jrim 8. The middle portion of the arched members 11 is reduced in width, as indicated -at 12, to-provide spaces 13 to receive the circumferential spring members. The narrow portions 1 2 are off-set at their endsas` indicatedv at glll, a distance correspending approximately to 'the thickness of t e outer or tread portions ofthe circumferential spring members, so that in ltransverse section the tire may present an unbroken outline on Aits Outer surface. The'arched members 11 have'theirside' portions ltouching at their longitudinal edges so as'to 'form a practically tight inclosure to exclude mud and other foreign matter.

The circumferential spring elements 15 are member i6 made thin and Wide and constituting the tread portion, The, at'i'achingv Aends of the members, like those hffthe arched members 1l, are threaded to receive nuts 10 and are shouldered to engage with the outer surface of the rim so as to clamp the latter between the shouldered portions and the securing nuts. The elements 15 are arranged in parallel circles above the rim 8, with their outer tread portions 16 overlapping, whereby one braces the other. The elements 15 have a progressive arrangement, that is,I the elements of one circle are set a little in advance of correspomling elements of the adj aeent circle, this arrangement resulting in breaking,l joints. The longitudinal edge portions oi the parts 16 touch so as to completely close the space and prevent mud or toi-eign matter passing by them to the interior oi the tire. rThe progressive or echelon a rangement or the cireumierential elements i5, besides resulting in the formation of break joints,` distributes the -strain to .better advantage to enable the tire to sustain a heavy ioad or strain, as when traveling over rough roads. Luge l? project from opposite sides of the elements 15 near the extremities of the tread portion 1.6 and are adapted to underlap adjacent elements so as to prevent outward springing` of the free ends of the elements and insure a comparatively smooth exterior surface to the tire. The spring elcients l5 .forming the outermost circumferential rings, arranged so that the outer lugs 17 underlap 'the joints formed between the adjacei'it cross or arched members, thereby assistingr materially in holding the same in alinemeut. lThe outer lugs of the elements l'iordering upon the widened side portions of the arched" members 11, underlap said widened portions at the ends of the narrow portions l2, thereby .holding the adjacent portions of the elements in alinement and j )reventing one springing outward farther than the other. When the several circumyierential andL cross members forming the yieldable portion of the tire are roperly positioned, the outer surface forme is continuous and the overlapping and interlock'- ing of the parts insure the alinement and the 'maintenance of the arts in proper relationship. It will aso understood that by reason of the peculiar arrangeinent, the load equalized and distributed over a comparatively g'reat extentof surface, thereby eniablingr the tire to be perfectly resilient so as to absorb shock and. vibration and produce the ease and comfort attributable to pneumatic tires.

Havin thus described the invention, is claime as new is:

1. A yieldable tire com )rising cross elo- Inents of arched form, anil circumferential elements of approxin'rately elbow term and having their outer or tread portions passed between cross members and overlappinc,` the same.

2. A yieldable tire comprising cross meinbers having side portions touching :1t their longitudinal edges and havingV their middle portions made narrow to l'orm spaces, and circumferential springr members iillinpr the space transversely between tho widened .sido portions of the cross members 'und overl.rpA ping the narrow middle portions thereof.

3. A yieldableI tire comprisinpr cross mombers, having their middle portions spar-.od apart and depressed, and cirouml'oromiid spring elements of approximately elbow form having their tr xad portions passed between the spaced portions oi the cross mem-- bers and overlapping the same and havingY their outer surface in line with the outer surface of the widened parts ol' said cross elo ments.

4. A yieldable tire comprising cross mombers having their side portions touching their middle portions ,made narrow und spaced apart, a. circular series of spring elo-- ments having their tread portions overlapping the narrow portions ol" the cross members, and lugs projected from the tread por-- what tions of said circumferential members to uuderlap portions oi' the adjacent .members :1nd the joints formed between the widened portions of the cross members.

5. A- yieldable tire comprising a rim, spring cross members secured to said rim and having the longitudinal edges ol' their sido portions touching and their middle-p rtions` GEORGE SOMMERS. Witnesses:

GEORGE GRANT, v W. K. Ikone. 

